Illustrated in full color with images from the popular US national public education project and museum exhibition of the American Anthropological Association, RACE: Are We So Different? offers a primer on the complex science of human variation and the history and lived experiences of race and racism.

"This book brings together compelling evidence from many disciplines to show that ... the biology of race is a powerful myth. It is important, absorbing, educational, and masterful in its telling." - Daryl G. Smith

New and engaging essays by prominent social scientists and scientists provide examples from their personal experiences and individual research projects, revealing the different ways that the idea and realities of race and racism are experienced.

Race is a small but powerful word. Race shapes how one sees and is seen by others. Yet, many people poorly understand what race is and isn't.

To help promote a broad understanding of race and human variation, the American Anthropological Association has undertaken the RACE Project. The RACE Project has produced to date an award-winning public education program entitled RACE Are We So Different? The program includes a traveling museum exhibit, an interactive website, and educational materials. The program is geared for middle school-aged children through adults.

RACE Are We So Different? looks at race in the United States through the eyes of history, science and lived experience. The program explains how human variation differs from race, when and why the idea of race was invented, and how race and racism affects everyday life. The program conveys three overall messages: